BARTONVILLE — Building off an already strong start to the year, Gen. Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport announced Friday a record number of passengers passed through the airport in June.

In a news release, officials said 59,373 passengers traveled through the airport in June — the all-time monthly record and a 10 percent increase compared with June 2013. The record followed a string of similar successes for airport passenger totals from March to May, and the traveler total since March has surpassed 230,000 people.

The surge in passengers has an air of mystery even to Olson, but he said PIA’s success could stem from an outlier not applicable to many other national airports. The four airlines at PIA — American, Allegiant, Delta and United — consistently have maintained or increased seats for Peoria flights in the past year. Olson said airlines will increase prices instead of adding seats, a term known as “capacity discipline” within the industry. The boost in seats reflects a confidence in PIA’s passengers, according to Olson.

“We have seen the number of seats increase, which is counter to the national trend,” Olson said.

Olson credited an improving economy and the number of charter passengers more than doubling this June from the same month last year as key cogs to the passenger boon. He also thanked central Illinois residents for their own contribution to the record.

“We want to say thank you to everyone in central Illinois for so often choosing Peoria International Airport as their preferred airport,” Olson said.

Thomas Bruch can be reached at 686-3188 or tbruch@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @ThomasBruch.